Bear-safe in Harriman St Park, NY?

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xrgong

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Jun 9, 2008
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I need some advice from guys around this area- I'm planning on spending some time in Harriman soon (hopefully over 2/3 nights) and I just want to confirm that I need to go full canister/scent/food-prep precautions in this area. As of now, I am planning on it (based on info I can find) but I'd rather not if it actually isn't necessary. I don't plan on sleeping far outside the 'shelter' areas, but I'm not sure that matters.

I'll call the park too, but I know a few of you do this a lot. So, do I need to get myself a canister?
 
There are some bears there, Lotta coyotes too. But I just suspend my stuff in a dry bag betwen 2 trees about 100 yards from camp.. never had any problems in the past 10 years. The biggest problem I've had with animals and food there has been with squirrels.
 
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Hang your food in a dry bag away from camp and you should be fine.

Never had a bear problem there, but I've seen them (two over summer, neither far from the road), usually scampering off. They don't seem habituated to scavenging off visitors, or stalking the shelters or dumpsters. I have to admit, I lazily do not hang a bear bag in Harriman, but doing so is always recommended in potential bear turf, and is easily accomplished.

I'm embarrassed to admit it here, but I often cook and eat in camp, don't string up my food, and yet have spent many peaceful nights there without disturbance.
I wouldn't recommend doing that, but it's a good place to practice proper bear protocol without too much risk.

Have a great time! I love Harriman, and spend as much time there as possible.
 
Remember that their regular food, berries and such, may be in short supply or shriveling up with colder weather. When that happens, they start eyeing hikers and food caches.
 
Thanks, guys- good info. Looks like I'll be taking the precautions. Now if I can just get the weather to cooperate a bit more on one of these weekends...
 
I've spend several nights out there far away from campgrounds and never had a problem, but yes I'd be more cautious this time of year.
 
I've definitely seen som more signs of bear activity as the weather changes.. But as Natural world mentioned I always cook and eat in camp.. I just practice general precautions and that is usually enough...
 
NaturalWorld said:
I'm embarrassed to admit it here, but I often cook and eat in camp, don't string up my food, and yet have spent many peaceful nights there without disturbance.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've done the same, many times :o
Always better to be safe though :thumbup:
 
Kind of off topic, but while watching a vid on Yosemite national park, they mentioned that a bear safe canister was the only way to go, because the bear there had gotten wise to the humans hanging food in the trees and had figured out how to get to it... I am assuming that this is possible with any bear in any part of the country.
 
longbow50 said:
Kind of off topic, but while watching a vid on Yosemite national park, they mentioned that a bear safe canister was the only way to go, because the bear there had gotten wise to the humans hanging food in the trees and had figured out how to get to it... I am assuming that this is possible with any bear in any part of the country.
Click to expand...

They are getting crafty too. Check this article out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/nyregion/25bear.html?_r=1

The BearVault 500 withstood the ravages of the test bears at the Folsom City Zoo in California. It has stymied mighty grizzlies weighing up to 1,000 pounds in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park.

But in one corner of the Adirondacks, campers started to notice that the BearVault, a popular canister designed to keep food and other necessities safe, was being compromised. First through circumstantial evidence, then from witness reports, it became clear that in most cases, the conqueror was a relatively tiny, extremely shy middle-aged black bear named Yellow-Yellow.
 
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